Immigration Evaluations
Mental health evaluations for immigration cases, available in English and Spanish
Your Experiences Deserve to Be Understood and Documented With Care
Being asked to complete an immigration evaluation can bring up questions you have never had to consider before.
What will you be asked? Will you need to talk about painful experiences? How will the information be used? Will the person listening understand your family, your background, and what this process means to you?
Perhaps your attorney recommended an evaluation, but you are not sure what to expect. You may be concerned about possible family separation, the effects of abuse, or experiences that are difficult to put into words.
At Healing Blue Therapy, we approach these conversations with care and respect. You deserve a clear explanation of the process, not another appointment you have to enter without knowing what comes next.
What Is an Immigration Mental Health Evaluation?
An immigration mental health evaluation is a clinical assessment that documents psychological information relevant to an immigration matter. Depending on the purpose of the evaluation, it may address emotional hardship, the effects of traumatic experiences, or current mental health concerns.
The findings are presented in a written report that may be used as supporting evidence. An evaluation is different from ongoing therapy: its purpose is assessment and documentation, rather than a course of treatment.
The focus is on understanding and documenting your individual circumstances, not fitting your experience into a predetermined conclusion.
Types of Immigration Evaluations We Offer
Extreme Hardship Waiver Evaluations
For certain immigration waivers, an evaluation may examine the potential mental health impact of separation or relocation on a qualifying family member. Your immigration attorney can clarify who needs to be evaluated and which circumstances are relevant to the waiver being requested.
We assess the concerns presented rather than assuming that separation or relocation would affect every person in the same way.
We provide evaluations for people pursuing cases under the Violence Against Women Act, or VAWA. The clinical focus is on the emotional and psychological effects of abuse.
VAWA has specific eligibility requirements involving the abuse and the qualifying family relationship. Your attorney can explain how those requirements apply to your circumstances.
VAWA Evaluations
U Visa Evaluations
For people pursuing a U visa following qualifying criminal activity, an evaluation can document the psychological effects of the experience and their impact on daily life.
A mental health report addresses the clinical part of the case; it does not replace the other U visa requirements, including those concerning qualifying criminal activity and assistance to law enforcement.
Asylum Evaluations
For people seeking asylum, an evaluation can document the mental health effects of reported persecution or other traumatic experiences.
Clinical findings may provide supporting evidence about the psychological impact of those experiences. The evaluator’s role is to assess and document—not to decide the legal merits of the asylum application.
What to Expect From the Evaluation Process
Begin With Your Questions
When you contact us, please share the type of evaluation requested, your preferred language, and any deadline your attorney has provided.
You can also ask about scheduling, the payment process, and what information may be needed before your appointments. You do not have to arrive already knowing how an immigration evaluation works.
Discuss Your Experiences and Current Concerns
The evaluation appointments focus on understanding the circumstances relevant to your case and how they relate to your emotional health and daily life.
Some questions may involve personal or painful experiences. You can let your evaluator know when a question is unclear, when you are unsure of an answer, or when you need a pause.
You do not need to memorize a statement or find the “right” way to sound. The aim is to describe your experiences as accurately as you can.
Understand the Purpose of the Report
The written report brings together relevant information and clinical findings from the assessment. Its contents depend on the individual evaluation.
Before proceeding, it is important to understand how the report may be used, who may receive it, and the limits of confidentiality. These are part of informed consent for an evaluation intended for a legal matter.
Complete the Evaluation Over Two Appointments
Most immigration evaluations are completed over two appointments. During the first session, we begin gathering your history and understanding the experiences and concerns relevant to your immigration case.
The second appointment gives us an opportunity to explore important areas in greater detail, clarify information from the first meeting, and make sure we have an accurate understanding of your emotional and psychological experience before preparing the written report.
We prefer this two-session format because these evaluations can involve complicated and sometimes painful experiences. We do not want you to feel rushed through your story simply to complete an assessment.
When an attorney deadline requires a faster turnaround, an expedited one-session evaluation may sometimes be available for an additional fee.
An Approach That Makes Room for Your Background
How you describe distress, family responsibilities, or difficult experiences may be closely connected to your language, culture, and personal history.
We want to understand what those experiences mean to you without making assumptions about your family, community, or reasons for seeking an evaluation.
You can ask for clarification when unfamiliar language is used. You can explain when a question does not quite capture your experience. Understanding those differences is part of approaching your story thoughtfully.
Our goal is to combine respectful listening with clear, careful clinical documentation.
Fees & Payment Options
First Evaluation Appointment $500.00
Second Evaluation Appointment $400.00
Total Cost: $900.00
We intentionally divide the evaluation into two appointments. Immigration evaluations often involve a detailed personal, family, immigration, and mental health history. Having more than one appointment gives us time to listen carefully, review what you have shared, clarify important information, and complete a thorough and accurate clinical assessment without rushing you through difficult experiences.
Payment
Cash/Credit Cards/Debit Cards are accepted. At this time, personal checks or money orders are not accepted.
What if my attorney has an urgent deadline?
If you have an urgent filing deadline and there is not enough time to complete the usual two-session process, we may be able to complete an expedited evaluation in one extended appointment, depending on availability and the circumstances of your case.
Because an expedited evaluation requires us to compress the assessment and report-writing process into a much shorter timeframe, an additional $500 expedited-service fee applies.
Please let us know about any immigration or attorney deadline when you first contact us so we can determine whether we can accommodate the requested timeline.
Questions You May Have Before Scheduling
Can I complete the evaluation in Spanish?
Yes. Evaluations are available in English or Spanish. Let us know your preferred language when you contact us.
Will an evaluation guarantee that my case is approved?
No. An evaluation provides clinical findings that may be considered alongside other evidence. It does not guarantee approval or establish eligibility on its own. Immigration authorities make the legal decision, and your attorney can advise you about the requirements of your case.
How long will the process take?
Please contact us to discuss appointment availability and report timing before booking. If your attorney has a filing deadline, share it when you first reach out. Asking about timing early allows us to discuss whether the requested schedule is feasible before you commit.
Who will see the information I share?
Because the report is intended for possible use in an immigration case, it should not be understood as a conversation that will necessarily remain only between you and the evaluator. Before beginning, discuss intended recipients, authorization for sharing information, and circumstances in which disclosure may be required by law.
Contact Us About an Immigration Evaluation
Healing Blue Therapy is based in Granada Hills, in the San Fernando Valley.
Whether your attorney has requested an evaluation or you are gathering information about the service, you are welcome to contact us with questions.
Tell us the type of evaluation you are seeking, your preferred language, and any relevant deadline. We can discuss the next steps and whether our service is appropriate for the request.
Contact us about an immigration evaluation.
Your experiences deserve careful attention - and you deserve to understand the process.
Why Choose Healing Blue Therapy?
Expertise:
Highly qualified clinicians with extensive experience in immigration evaluations.
Comprehensive Reports:
We document all relevant psychological factors with care and detail.
Cultural Sensitivity:
Evaluations can be conducted in Spanish or English, ensuring comfort for clients from diverse backgrounds.
Confidentiality:
We maintain the strictest ethical standards to protect your privacy.
Timeliness:
We respect the urgency of immigration cases and deliver reports promptly without compromising quality.
Our Commitment to You
At Healing Blue Therapy, we are committed to supporting individuals in their immigration journey with evaluations that are accurate, professional, and deeply respectful of your story.